SCRIPTURE: How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation. Hebrews
2:3

This watch is a very expensive watch, but it didn't cost me anything. It was
given to me as a gift. It is a beautiful watch. There is only one thing wrong
with it. It doesn't work! Let me tell you about my watch.

When I first got this watch, I wore it every day. I was very proud of it and
showed it off to everyone. Then I decided that it would stay looking nice longer
if I didn't wear it every day. I decided that I would just wear it on Sundays
and on special occasions and wear a cheap watch for every day. I did this for a
while, but sometimes I would forget to put my nice watch on for Sunday. Pretty
soon, I decided that it was just too much trouble to change watches on Sunday
and my beautiful watch just stayed in the drawer.

One day I decided to take the watch out of the drawer and wear it. To my
surprise, it wouldn't keep time any more. I don't know if the battery is dead or
if it just quit working. All I know is that I didn't take care of it and I
didn't use it, and now it doesn't work anymore.

God has given us a wonderful gift. It is a very expensive gift, but
it doesn't cost us a thing. He has given us His Son, Jesus. Some people treat
Jesus the same way I treated my watch. When they first get to know him, they are
proud of him and they take him with them everywhere. But then they decide that
they really only need him on Sundays and special occasions. They stray away, and
after while, they forget all about him and don't even come to see him on
Sundays. When trouble comes into their life, they start looking for Jesus to
help them, but they don't even know where to find him any more.

Jesus is still there, he just isn't working in their life because they have
neglected this wonderful gift that God has given them. Some of you have already
received the gift of salvation from God. Some of you will recieve it when you
get a little older. I hope you will take it and use it every day.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful gift of your son, Jesus. When we receive
this gift, help us to keep him in the very center of our life each and every
day. Amen.